The standard of care in caregiver environments includes patient monitoring through spectroscopic analysis using, for example, a pulse oximeter. Devices capable of spectroscopic analysis generally include a light source(s) transmitting optical radiation into or reflecting off a measurement site, such as, body tissue carrying pulsing blood. After attenuation by tissue and fluids of the measurement site, one or more photodetection devices detect the attenuated light and output one or more detector signals responsive to the detected attenuated light. A processor can process the one or more detector signal and output a measurement reflective of a blood constituent of interest, such as glucose, oxygen, methemoglobin, total hemoglobin, among other physiological parameters.
In noninvasive devices and methods, a sensor is often adapted to position an appendage such as a finger proximate a light source and a light detector. For example, noninvasive sensors often include a clothespin-shaped housing that includes a contoured bed conforming generally to the shape of a finger.